Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-08-19
TIRED OF LIES STRUGGLE.
A NORFOLK MERCHANT DISAP-
PEARS-THE LETTER HE
LEFT HIS PARTNER.

A NORFOLK MERCHANT DISAP-
PEARS-THE LETTER HE
LEFT HIS PARTNER.
Especial to The Americana
NORFOLK, VA, Aug. 13.-Thos.
ii. Hardy, Of the firm of 1hos. III.
Hardy & Co., leather merchants,
doing business at No. 81 Roanoke
avenue, in this city, disappeared
on Thursday afternoon, and from
letters addressed to his partner and
friends, received here yesterday, 1t
is feared he has committed suicide
at Ocean View, or wandered of on
one of the departing steamers
Thursday night while labOring I'M
der temporary alteration of the
mind. The following letter, writ.
ten on the regular letter paper of
the firm of Thos. II. Hardy q Co.,
was received by his partner, Mr..
williamson, on Friday:
NORFOLK, VA,
August 18th, 1887.
M. Williamson, Dcdr Sir
My life has been one long strug-
gle, and for the past eighteen months
the burden has grown heavier. No
one knows how heavy. / can bear
it no longer. | pray to be forgiven
for what | am abOnt to do. | will
60 10 Ocean View this evening, and
there, away from all the cold, self
ish world, | can end this misera.
BILE life of mine. This is no new de-
termination. | have had my pistol
several times to end 1t, but they got
it from me, but | will have no one
to trouble me tonight. Let no one
attempt to find my body. | want
it to lie in the water away from the
idle gaze of those who have so cruel
ly treated me. May God forgive
me and bless you. | have written
the family. Yours, HARDY.
Mr.. Williamson states that Mr..
Hardy was seemingly in his usual
spirits when he last saw him Thurs.
day, and so far did he seem from
anything like suicide, that Mr..
Williamson did not 90 down to the
store yesterday until late in the
day, as he thought that Hardy was
there. On his arrival, about twelve
o'clock, he was handed the above
letter, which was his first intima.
ton that Hardy was even out of the
city. He had not noticed that Mr..
Hardy was in low spirits. Never
associated the idea of suicide with
him, and the letter was a complete
surprise. Letters Of "A similar char
acter were written to two of his
friends Of this clty-Alessrs. G. II.
Paulette and Geo. +. Stevens. The
latter was seen, and said that he
knew that Mr.. Hardy was in low
spirits, and had spoken some time
before Of taking his life, but did
not think he was really in earnest.
Soon as the contents Of the letters
were known, and it was found that
Mr.. Hardy was not at home, or any
of the places usually frequented by
him, two employees Of the firm went
down to Ocean View and instituted
a search for his body, but it has
not been found. Mr.. Hardy was
the senior partner OF the firm, and
was about forty years old, and had
been married twice, the first time
to Miss Stevenson, OF Stanton
the second time to Miss Matte
Keeling, n sister of Judge j. VI.
Keeling, of Princess Anne Court
House. Both are dead. BY the
first marriage he had Two children,
and they, at the ages Of three aud
five years, survive him. To-day
photographs Of the missing mer-
chant were furnished all the steam
boats leaving this port to assist IN
Identification if he should have
wandered away.